Apprenticeship for craftspeople in the construction industry: a state-of-the-art review

Abstract

Purpose Apprenticeship programmes are designed to provide young trainees with essential broad-based skills. Through apprenticeships, different sectors that are underpopulated can fill up their skills gaps. Apprenticeships are particularly useful to the construction sector which has a high ageing workforce and associated lower labour productivity. However, the completion rates of apprenticeship training programmes in the construction sector remain low in several countries across the globe. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to review the published research on apprenticeship training that is specifically focused on the construction sector, to determine the current status quo and suggest a direction for future research. Design/methodology/approach A systematic review approach was adopted. Based on a comprehensive search using SCOPUS databases, 33 relevant journal articles were identified and analysed. Findings It was found that monitoring and control is the most mentioned factor responsible for improvements in the completion rates of apprenticeship training. In contrast, the length of time required for going through the full training is the most common factor responsible for low completion rates. Three research gaps were identified, among which is the dearth of studies that has focused on apprentices training in developing countries. Research limitations/implications The gaps identified in the current knowledge on apprenticeship training would serve as a justification for future investigations. However, the scope of the review is limited to papers published in academic journals and citable through SCOPUS. Practical implications The outcomes of the study provide researchers and other relevant stakeholders with a concise report on the findings of previous studies. It also provides insight into strategies for improving the completion rates of apprenticeship training in the construction sector. Originality/value A systematic evaluation of the extant literature draws on theoretical evidence and highlights the factors that are more likely to influence the outcomes of apprentice training for craftspeople in the construction sector.

Choosing to be a craftsperson: factors influencing career decision-making among apprentices

“…These studies can be classified into three groups: pre-training, training and post-training. For instance, the factors influencing career choice among female trainees is a pre-training issue (Haworth et al, 1986), whereas a low completion rate is a training issue (Daniel et al, 2020). However, the review of existing literature reported in Daniel et al (2020) indicates that very little attention has been paid to apprenticeships in developing countries.…”

Lean-offsite-simulation nexus for housing construction: a state-of-the-art review of the existing knowledge

“…Systematic literature review (SLR) is a well-established approach used to distil built environment research. For instance, SLR has been applied to construction output modelling (Oshodi et al, 2020), construction craftspeople apprenticeship (Daniel et al, 2020) and off-site construction (Mostafa et al, 2016), among others. Although several methods have been used to review the literature (such as critical review and narrative review), 'replicability' and 'rigour' are some of the advantages of utilising SLR.…”

Enhancing learning opportunities in higher education: best practices that reflect on the themes of the national student survey, UK

“…A HE provider’s main objective is to produce work-ready learners who have a holistic understanding upon completing their academic experience (Daniel et al , 2019). Thus, the pedagogical approach needs to focus on the application of knowledge effectively through holistic understanding.…”

“…Recent studies indicate that there need to be learning opportunities catered explicitly in developing the student experience, especially in the built environment (BE) sector (Fernández-Caramés and Fraga-Lamas, 2019; Diao and Shih, 2019). BE courses heavily rely on various students from different backgrounds and exposure levels, seeking an equal opportunity for learning and academic progression (Daniel et al , 2019). Thus, concepts of additional learning opportunities need to be identified, adopted and presented to the current context of learning in HE within the BE sector.…”